Conversations in the Night
by All I Want14
Summary: Haymitch wanders into Effie's room one night while she's asleep.


**So, another one by yours truly :) Hope you like it!**

Haymitch wandered into Effie's room around three o'clock in the morning. They had been fighting earlier, because he wouldn't try to get sponsors for their tributes and they ended up dying. He was trying not to drink any alcohol, but he couldn't sleep without having a drink, so he would just have to stay up all night. He was bored and decided to go into the Escort's room.

She was fast asleep and not wearing any makeup or a wig. Effie had pale skin and honey blonde hair, he noticed and thought she looked pretty. She was curled up on her side with her head laying on her and no sheets on; she must get hot during the night, he thought. She wore fuzzy white pajama pants with little pink bunnies on them, and a pink camisole.

Haymitch then noticed the little stuffed bunny that lay right next to her other arm by the edge of the bed. He sat down next to the bed and watched her sleep. He listened to her slow breathing and found out she was a mouth breather. He reached forward to brush some of her hair out of her face and kept his hand on her cheek for a moment, it was soft and smooth and he caressed it with his thumb. He laid his arm on the bed next to her and put his head down on it and watched her face.

He then put his hand on her arm and trailed a finger up and down it. All the way up to her shoulder, then back down to her wrist. Effie shifted closer to the edge of the bed in her sleep and he smiled and continued doing it. He ran hi finger across her collarbone, up her neck, and stopped at her cheekbone.

Then he rested his hand on her hip and moved it down to her thigh. Effie smiled and made a sound resembling a sigh while he touched her. She started to stir and Haymitch looked up at her face. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him; he removed his hand from her hip.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked calmly and quietly, probably because she just woke up. Effie sat up and rubbed her eyes. Haymitch thought that was cute. He sat back and said, "Trying not to drink."

"So, you came in here. To watch me sleep."

"You're a deep sleeper, by the way," he smiled. "What did you do?" she asked, more awake now.

"Nothing bad," he reassured her. Well, nothing _too_ bad, and he smiled again. "Go to bed, Haymitch," Effie went to lay back down, but Haymitch's words stopped her. "I can't sleep."

"Haymitch..."

"I thought maybe if I just made myself busy by watching you that I could get through the night." "Okay, I'll stay up with you," she thought this would be best since he was actually trying not to drink. Effie slid off the bed and sat next to him. They both stretched their legs out in front of them and leaned back against the bed.

"So...what should we do?" Effie asked.

"You sleep with a stuffed bunny?" Haymitch ignored her question.

Effie smiled and laughed, "Yeah, I do." He turned and picked up the small, pink bunny. "Don't hurt him," she warned and he laughed lightly.

"Him? It's a he?"

"Yes, for some reason all my stuffed animals I had when I was little were boys." "Really?"

"Yep." Haymitch moved over to the wall and sat in front of her.

"I like your hair," he said. Effie's eyes widened when she realized she wasn't wearing a wig or any makeup, and she blushed. "Thank you."

"You look pretty underneath all that Capitol crap." She blushed brighter. "...And you sleep with a night-light," he said, just now noticing the dim glow in the room. "I don't really like the dark, " she said quietly.

"Me neither." He handed her bunny back to her and she set it in her lap. "If you're really having trouble sleeping, you can always borrow my bunny. Or come in here like you did tonight," she told him.

"Thanks, princess," he leaned across and kissed her cheek. She grinned stupidly and he chuckled at her reaction.

They made small talk for a while and laughed at little jokes. Effie yawned every once and a while and Haymitch just wanted to hold her because she was so cute.

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" he asked, he didn't care enough to ask when they first met.

Effie smiled, "Well, Haymitch, if you did the math, I was eighteen when I started-"

"And that was the 63rd Games, so you should be-you're only 22?"

"Yeah," she smiled.

"You don't really act your age," he commented. "What do you mean?" her smile faltered.

"You're just really mature most of the time." "Oh, that's just an act," she waved it off, "I always have to think twice before I speak."

"Really?" "Yep, all for the job."

"What are you really like?" She smiled, "I was a wild child, when I was little I would throw a bunch of things in a bowl and light it on fire in the backyard." The look on Haymitch's face was priceless and he started laughing.

"So you're a pyromaniac!?" he laughed and she started laughing too.

"I would get in so much trouble, I ruined so many bowls. I burned CD's too. But one time I was grounded for two months when I almost blew myself up," she laughed, "it was still a lot of fun though."

"What'd you put in the bowl?" Haymitch asked.

"Cleaning supplies," Effie smiled, "I'm definitely not the sharpest crayon in the box."

"Oh, wow, so you could have killed yourself...Did you get hurt?" "Oh yeah, burn scars everywhere," she held her arms out, showing him faded scars, "on my legs, too."

"How old were you?" he asked. "Around eight, I think."

"You ever still do it?" She smiled again, "Maybe..."

"Effie Trinket, the Girl Who Plays With Fire." She giggled.

"But in my teen years I was horrible. My parents were really strict, so I knew all the tricks," she said, "hopping over fences, lying, lock picking, and mischievous things were my kind of thing. Never got caught."

"I can not see you being like that," Haymitch smiled. "Yep, I changed."

"What kind of things would you do?"

"Break into abandoned houses that were usually extremely expensive and nice, and I would take friends with me and we would drink," she yawned.

"And now you always complain about alcohol," he smiled. "Yes, I got in a lot of trouble for that part sometimes...And I think it stunted my growth," she laughed a little and closed her eyes sleepily.

"Aww," he chuckled, "you're the perfect size, princess." She smiled. "You tired? Effie nodded her head with her eyes still closed. "You can go back to bed if you want."

"No, this is sorta fun." He thought her sleepy voice was so cute; he scooted back next to her and put his arm around her. "My parents," she mumbled, "had enough and sent me to Games School, which is a boarding school. I was the youngest one there."

"Poor little Euphemia, not allowed to have any fun." Her head fell onto his shoulder and she yawned slightly. Effie moved over so she could snuggle into his side and she wrapped her arms around him. She sighed and barried her face into his chest.

"You smell good," she mumbled. He smiled, he had taken a shower earlier after she yelled at him, hoping that would at least make her a little happier. "You too, sweetheart."

Effie looked up at him. "Princess." He gave her a questioning look. "You called me sweetheart, I'm Princess." she pouted. Haymitch grinned, "Does it really matter?"

"Yes. You call everyone 'sweetheart', but only call me 'princess'. I like it. I'm your only princess."

"My princess?" he said a little confused.

"Yes, yours," Effie sat up and kissed him lightly, then pulled away and looked at him. Haymitch's eyes were wide in shock. "Uh, princess-" She cut him off by kissing him again. He responded and kissed her back. It didn't last long, but it was perfect.

Effie stood up and pulled him with her, holding her bunny in her other hand."Bedtime," she said, She got on the bed and asked him to sleep with her. They laid next to each other for a minute, then Haymitch asked, "Mine?"

"Yours," Effie whispered and snuggled up to him, placing her hand on his chest. A few more minutes passed. "How do you not sleep with covers?" he asked. Effie mumbled something incoherent and placed her leg over one of his and fell asleep. Haymitch actually did end up falling asleep that night and came back night after night, sometimes just taking her bunny so she'd follow him to his room.

**I know you liked it ;) JK So that's what happens when you stop writing something after a while and try to start again, you turn a character into a pyromaniac. I'm sorry about that :) Review?  
**


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